


Tears of the Past

by Cerch



Series: In the Land of Vikings [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-23
Updated: 2014-09-23
Packaged: 2018-02-18 11:13:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2346386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cerch/pseuds/Cerch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elena doesn't cry. Eir does.</p><p>Prequel to Ten Thousand Drops of Blood.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tears of the Past

**Author's Note:**

> This is a small prequel to my ACBB fic. You can read it either before or after, though I suspect it bears more interest to those already familiar with the whole story. I hope you enjoy.
> 
> Thank you so much [Sass](http://archiveofourown.org/users/sassafrasx/profile) for taking the time to look over this, I appreciate it <3

 

Elena kills her first man when she is six. They have lived a rather sheltered life until then; their father, King Godwyn, dotes on them. But though he is well-loved there is always room for unrest, always those who would like to gain more power, and his brother, their smiling uncle, is one of them.

Eir, two years older, is looking after her little sister when one of their father’s men comes for them. She doesn’t understand anything is wrong before he grabs her violently, and helpless and afraid all she can do is scream. Elena, however, grabs the knife they were using to carve wood and stabs him in the stomach. Elena doesn’t cry. Eir does.

 

They flee with their mother. She has kin in the far north, so they sail there as quickly as they can buy passage. Eir watches how their mother strips herself of jewels one by one and gives them away.

 

The king calls their mother his dearest cousin, and gives them a small piece of land and a thrall to help them tend to it. Their mother thanks him and Lady Ygraine in tears and ushers both Elena and Eir to thank them as well, but Elena manages to trip over something and lands on the floor with a heavy thump.

A delighted giggle fills the air and two boys, one with fair hair and blue eyes like the lady and the other with a pale face under a mop of black disarray, emerge from behind the lady to have a better look at Elena who is making faces at the floor. Arthur and Merlin, they introduce themselves as they help Elena up, and Eir watches with suspicion as their mother exchanges a mysterious smile with Lady Ygraine.

 

Merlin is really dreadful with an axe. He tries, and Arthur does his best to help him, but everyone can tell that the practise is doing him no good. The king praises Arthur but is obviously at a loss with Merlin, telling him to just practice harder and poor Merlin obeys. In the end it’s a boy a couple of years older named Vil who simply knocks the axe out of Merlin’s hand and teaches him to fight with a knife. Merlin learns fast, but Eir watches with confusion how Arthur glowers at them. Later that night, when they burrow under the blankets for sleep, Elena proclaims that she has given up on becoming Arthur’s queen.

 

They are all on their first raid together, Arthur, Merlin, Elena and Eir, with the more experienced men. Vil has already been on two raids, and when Arthur tells Merlin to look after himself he butts in to ruffle Merlin’s hair and to give Arthur assurances that he is going to take care of Merlin. His face flaming, Merlin snaps that he can look after himself, and based on Arthur’s venomous glare Eir suspects that Vil is the one who needs to watch his back.

 

They fight well together, Elena and Eir, and she truly enjoys flying through the battle. This time she feels no desire to cry when men fall by their axes.

 

She thinks everyone must notice when Vil takes the hit. Not because of anything he does, but because of Merlin’s inhuman screech of rage that leaves everyone reeling for a blink. With dread she watches as Merlin discards his weapons and just drops to Vil’s side, completely unaware of the enemy warrior circling around to his back. She is too far away, and so is Elena, and with all sense so should be Arthur, but he dashes through the field like death itself and throws one of his axes at the man before he has time to lift his own weapon.

 

Eir has to turn away from them to ward off another warrior that has decided that she looks like an easy opponent and she becomes absorbed in the battle once again. When it’s over there is no sign of either Merlin or Arthur and, disgruntled, they return to the ship to wait. The evening is long; the sea is restless and the ground grumbles slightly.  They arrive with the night, dirty and messy, and decidedly not looking at each other.

 

The next thing she knows Merlin is living with the völva and has distanced himself from everyone. Even his relationship with Arthur seems somewhat broken, like the easy brotherhood between them burned with Vil’s body.

  
Arthur seems to lose a piece of himself as well, but the day he saves Elena’s life for the first time Eir knows she will be loyal to this man even in death.

**Author's Note:**

> For every person who has taken time to read, comment or leave kudos - thank you!


End file.
